Thanksgiving Traditions

#mexicanesquite

It’s obviously no secret that I love to travel, but when I’m home I take comfort in my daily routines and rarely deviate from them. Throughout the year It’s a nice mix of the excitement of the new and the comfort of the known. For much the same reason I look forward to the holidays every year. We get that much needed break from the tedium of the school week and the joy of our annual holiday traditions!

Making a New Tradition

#mexicanesquite

Like most people many of our holiday traditions revolve around food, and some of the recipes go back generations! I can’t remember a new dish being added. Ever. Each of us has our favorite, mine was always the sweet potatoes. I admit the mini marshmallows baked on at the end were a big draw… However, I recently discovered a dish I love so much I’ve decided to break from routine and give it a shot at becoming a new holiday tradition! That is if I decide to share…

Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)

Not only is this a delicious dish, it’s very easy to throw together! Add as much or as little of each ingredient to make this recipe truly your own.

  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 ear of fresh corn per person (remove the kernels)
  • Salt
  • Chopped Cilantro (save some for garnish)
  • Mayonaise
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Cotija cheese crumbled (save some for garnish)
  • Lime juice
  • Chili powder
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over hight heat. Add the corn kernels, salt and toss them a few times before letting them char one side. Repeat this process on the other side and continue until all the kernels have reached the desired amount of charing. About 30 seconds before removing the kernels from the pan add the minced garlic and stir. Transfer the kernels to a large bowl.

Mix in the cilantro, both cheeses, the mayonnaise, lime juice and chili powder. Salt to taste and garnish with extra cilantro and cotija cheese crumbles. Many people also add chopped jalapeño or hot sauce as well. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Mom Stuff: Ripping Off The Bandage!

#bandages

#rippingoffthebandageWe’re in the dark about so many things before becoming parents. One of them is how your heart literally breaks the first time your child suffers pain of any kind, and each and every time it happens thereafter. I will never forget the first shots, the first time they fell down, or the first time their feelings were hurt at school.

As far as physical injuries went it wasn’t long before my boys grew to hate bandages. While it soothed their initial pain, the fear of having them ripped off was too great.

#rippingoffthebandageI wasn’t ever sure how to handle it… How should I rip off the bandage? Slow or quick? Should I rip at the count of three, or fib and say I was counting to three, but rip at one? Maybe I should just do it a little bit at a time?

The Proverbial Bandage

As they’ve gotten older (and more coordinated) it’s become more about soothing emotional injury. In my opinion this is the much more difficult of the two… It’s even worse if you’re the cause. For example, giving your child bad or difficult news?

How do you deliver? Slow, or quick? All at once, or a little bit at a time? Is complete honesty the best policy?

1…2…3…RIPPPPP!

Recently, when I had to tell my boys 1, 2… WE’RE MOVING 3! I had the chance to find out.

Yep, see how I did that? Started out a little slow but then… riiiiip!

Wait! What?

After 8 years in the Bay Area we will be heading back to Southern California at the end of this summer.

While we are very excited about our new home and life in SoCal we are equally as heartbroken about leaving our NorCal family. We were so lucky 8 years ago when we landed in one of the best communities anywhere and leaving will be incredibly difficult. Friendships like these don’t just come and go and we know we’re in it for the long haul no matter where we call home!

Actually this wasn’t how we told the kids, this time…Oops! Yes, we tried that method previously and it didn’t go over well. Lesson learned. This time we included them in the decision making and house hunting process as much as we could and though it’s bittersweet they’re pretty excited about their close proximity to many of the fun things SoCal has to offer!

In the meantime we’ve got a lot of fun happening around our house between now and our upcoming move, which means many more posts about not only recent travels but future travels as well. we are looking forward to a six week journey around Europe to keep us very occupied! So exciting!

Hopefully I won’t need to rip off  any bandages in the near future but should the need arise… How should I do it? 1, 2, 3…

#rippingoffthebandage

Though not in anyway complete here are just a few photos representing some of the amazing memories we’ve created over the past 8 years.

 

Mom Stuff! What Did I Know?

I always knew I’d be a mom someday, or at least I certainly hoped so! However, when considering parenthood there were SO MANY things I could never have imagined. That’s a good thing too, because had I known otherwise I might have made different choices. I suppose this naiveté is part of what enables our species to go on!

#momsarethebestVery quickly I learned that I had literally been clueless about what to expect prior to motherhood. Looking back I had definitely been judging others and felt so smug about how when I was the mom I would do it differently. I would do it right.

Had I listened, really listened, I might have learned a thing or two from friends with kids, like how letting your kid cry it out is much harder than it actually sounds, and that picking your battles isn’t always easy, and sometimes it’s just easier and more fun to say yes even though you shouldn’t, and most importantly that everything doesn’t always go according to plan! Sometimes you’re still laying with your seven year old every single night even though you fully intended that he was going to sleep on his own from day one!

Of course, in hindsight, I know I simply wasn’t ready to learn these things. That is until I had a child of my own then I’d joined the club!

Since that time I’ve learned so much! Here, in no particular order, are just a few things I’ve learned over the past 13 years as the mother of two boys:

  1. Never go into the bathroom barefoot.
  2. Rain or shine I drive teen carpools with the windows down. The other alternative is a gas mask. Deodorant people. Deodorant!
  3. Love the name you choose because you’re going to say it A LOT.
  4. There’s no reason for a baby to cry!
  5. You’re the boss!
  6. Wipe warmers are awesome. Did I mention there’s no reason for a baby to cry?
  7. Keep those little scented baggies in your diaper bag for dirty diaper disposal.
  8. Be prepared for vomit. Anytime. Anywhere.
  9. You will make mistakes.
  10. Your kids will get Lice. Yes, lice, and you probably will too.
  11. Don’t threaten a punishment you can’t or won’t be able to follow through on.
  12. It’s okay to change your mind.
  13. Wait as long as possible to potty train, buy cheap underwear and throw it out when accidents happen.
  14. Accidents will happen.
  15. It’s okay if your kid isn’t into sports. Really!
  16. Play dates aren’t fun.
  17. Enjoy the moments.
  18. Even the tough ones because it goes by so fast.
  19. You’ll be surprised at what you can handle.
  20. Say yes to help.
  21. Other moms have great ideas. Be open to them.
  22. Don’t brag.
  23. It’s nice to say yes.
  24. Don’t over volunteer.
  25. Go with your instinct.

#brotherlylove